Month: October 2005

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Transplants Growing In (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

A picture is worth 1000 words, and this nice patient of mine agreed to share his 4 month growth with everyone on this site. His business colleagues watch him daily and with the gradual growth of the transplanted hair, nobody has noticed anything unusual over these past 4 months. In the coming months, the hair will continue to grow and thicken, but because I’ve received quite a few emails asking what a transplant looks like as it grows in, I wanted to show this patient.

The “before” photo on the left was taken in May, and his “after” photo on the right was taken in September. He had 2,189 grafts transplanted. Please remember, this is only 4 months after the procedure and some of the hair has grown while other areas look like he is balding. Slowly over the next few months, the open areas will fill in continuing the gradual transition from a bald front to a non-balding frontal view. While it is growing in, if notice at all, it will look like the patient is losing hair, but day by day and week by week, the patient will be looking less thin. After 8 months, one can expect 80% of the growth and in 12 months, this patient will have over 90% of the results visible.

For more information about the post-op timeline, please see Post-Op Course in Follicular Unit Transplantation.



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Crown Transplants or Propecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Here is an example of a patient of ours who refused to take Propecia, but had 2,027 grafts transplanted in 2001. He had a remarkable change from the transplant, even filling in some of the upper part of the crown. At his recent visit a few days ago, I suggested again, that he try Propecia before undergoing a hair transplant, even though his results from the single procedure he had was remarkable. Much of the original hair in the upper crown that he had a few years ago, fell out. But even if the transplants still saved the day, he may have avoided the loss with Propecia.

Why would I suggest Propecia rather than transplants? First, I tell my patients that I make my living doing transplants, so if I recommend the drug approach rather than a transplant, I must be thinking of something other than the money I might make from the transplant. The answer should be obvious to the readers. I care about what is best for the patient. The drug, in many patients, will postpone or make transplants unnecessary. If this man succeeds at regrowing hair in the crown with Propecia, he will avoid surgery, saving money and donor hair for some time down the road when/if he might need it. A doctor should always put his patient’s interest first and foremost and if this young man was my son, that is what I would recommend for him. If the drug does not work, then a transplant is a reasonable option. He should wait for 8 months before facing that decision again. He was very appreciative.

Below: His “before” photo in 2001 is on the left, and “after” photo in 2005 is on the right.